Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of judges who sit in the High Court of England and Wales are (1) women, and (2) women from ethnic minority backgrounds.

The 2018 official judicial diversity statistics were published on 12 July and is attached. The statistical tables provide information on the:

1) Primary appointment of Judges in Courts in England and Wales, by gender, ethnicity, professional background, age and payment type by region, as at 1 April 2018

2) Primary appointment of Judges and Non-Legal members in Tribunals in England and Wales and Employment Tribunal Scotland, by gender, ethnicity, professional background, age and payment type, as at 1 April 2018

3) Primary appointment of serving Magistrates in England and Wales, by Advisory Committee Area, by gender, ethnicity, and age, as at 1 April 2018

The data is not available by the breakdown requested, as the gender and ethnicity of judges is reported but not in combination; and diversity information of judges by region is reported for the total courts judiciary but not by judicial office. This breakdown requested could only be collated at a disproportionate cost.